One Day in the Woods
by raykoRavenclaw
Summary: think you know Little Red Riding Hood? Think again. Her name's Rainbow Riding Hood actually, and she's off to grampa Dumbledore's house, he's feeling ill. Only on her journey, she meets the big bad wolf who isn't big and bad, but isn't too friendly either
1. Chappie 1: riding hood catches her wolf

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters; don't own the fairytale it comes from.

A/N: was thinking about this fairytale, and thought it might make a cute RLNT story. The concept is different though. It's only gonna be a couple of chapters and the fairytale storyline is changed a lot, _you'll see_.

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One Day in the Woods 

Rainbow Riding Hood, who chose not to go by her real name, was packing some food away in her little picnic basket one morning at her cottage home, making sure to add lemon drops and liquorish snaps since her grandfather loved them so much. Poor grampie Albus Dumbledore was currently ill in bed at his home across the forest, and she was planning on visiting him that day. Taking out her lovely wooden wand to seal the door to her cottage, she began her journey down the cobblestone pathway, pulling her cloak over her and clutching her basket tightly.

The wood was such a dark place, evening then, during the day. As she left the gates of her cottage and began to step off the clear path going down the street, she took a deep breath and reminded herself she was a brave girl. Instead of continuing down that path, she went through the trees that were edged around the wood, making sure she cold feel her wand underneath her cloak. And soon she found herself surrounded by trees, rays of light barely peeking through the top branches. Grampie Dumbledore's house isn't _too_ far off, she kept thinking in relief, keeping her eyes open.

Within the first ten minutes of traveling however, she had become relaxed and was no longer nervous about the forest. Birds sang from their post on tree branches above her, squirrels were scampering around in search of nuts, and she even came across a little red fox, sniffing around for a meal.

Something she hadn't noticed yet however, was that not far off, a big bad wolf in the shape of a man was walking around, kicking the leaves in his way leisurely. He seemed to have noticed her however, because soon he stopped dead, and took a whiff of the air to sense in which direction the human he smelled was. Making his way swift and quietly, he found his way to her and hid behind a tree. There, only metres away, was Rainbow Riding Hood making her way through the dark wood. Now the wolf, knowing that he was supposed to be "big" and "bad" was aware that it was his obligation to attack her, as any of his kind would. Only, he wasn't like the rest of his kind, he was a peaceful "Big Bad Wolf", if that made any sense. So deciding it was best to be on his way and leave her, he turned to make his getaway and go back to kicking his leaves around.

Only it was too late, Rainbow Riding Hood had sensed his eyes on her, and turned around to see him leaving the tree.

"Oi, there" She called, smiling. "What are you doing in this forest?"

The wolf turned back to her with a look of guilt on his face. He had been so close to leaving, and she had caught him.

"Hello, miss." He began awkwardly, deciding not to approach her.

So instead she took some steps to approach him. "Wotcher, I'm Nymp—eh, _actually_, you can call me Rainbow Riding Hood."

"It's a…pleasure to meet you." He weakly smiled and took a step back. Perhaps if he started to run—

"What's your name?" She asked, stepping closer to him.

"Well, around here I'm known as the…" Should he tell her what he was? If he did, she'd probably leave him alone. Perfect. "…the Big Bad Wolf." He made sure to emphasize the last three words.

She took a half step back and gave him a look over. "You certainly don't _look_ like a wolf."

"But I've the spirit of one, and well, there are times, when the moon is full in particular, that I take my true form." He assured her, hoping she back away.

Instead she remained where she was and looked at him in interest. "I have heard stories of "_Big Bad Wolves_". Aren't you supposed to attack and eat defenceless people in the wood?"

He knew she wasn't defenceless, he could sense the wand under her cloak. Instead he calmly informed her that he was an unusual breed of his kind.

"But that's marvellous!" She exclaimed, grabbing his arm and encircling it around her own. "We can get on and be jolly mates then. I'm off to visit my grampie, would you care to join?"

"I don't think—that's not a good—are you—bad idea…" He stammered completely taken aback by her words, flinching at her touch.

She laughed at his words, and pulled him along as she began to walk again. "Come on, I rather not walk through the woods alone, and I would like to be your friend. Do you have anything else you need to do in here, anyway?"

"Yes!" He answered rather quickly, racking his brain for an excuse. "I am _very_ busy now that you mentioned it. I'm afraid I can't—I have to leave you—being so _very_ busy and all."

"You're so funny, you know that." She chuckled. "I know you're being untruthful, I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice. But that's all right, you'll like me by the end of this, do not worry. We'll be the closet chums by the time we get to grampie's."

_Doubt that_, the wolf-man thought sullenly, but found it was a lost cause fighting this woman, who seemed so childlike at present.

"Don't fear," She repeated her earlier words, this time out loud for him. "His house isn't _too_ far."

"And then you will let me go?" The wolf asked hopefully, still acting quite like a little boy in a sulking mood.

"We'll see." She winked, ignoring his glum state. It was obvious to her she needed to do something about his shyness.

Keeping her arm encircled around his, as to prevent him from running off, she was now determined to bring out the friendliness in him.

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End of ch. 1 


	2. chappie2: riding hood befriends the wolf

Disclaimer: amateur writers never own anything

A/N: thanks to the people who reviewed (Emma Raven Moony Grimm + Lily Dragon) you guys are the reason I continued this. You'll find this story to be short, and hopefully not a waste of your time. ;)

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One Day in the Woods

Chapter 2: 

_Learning to be friends_

Rainbow Riding Hood had assured him her grandfather's house wasn't too far off, and yet, the wolf found himself being dragged across the wood for the past half hour and there was still no sign of any house near by.

He supposed he could bear it, if the journey had been in pure silence, but no, the young woman insisted on talking, asking him question after question about himself. Aft first he was quite reluctant to tell her things, but soon couldn't help but warm up a little to her vibrancy. Yes, vibrant she was, especially when she pulled the hood of her cloak down to reveal vibrant, shocking, bubble-gum pink hair. It seemed to shine through the forest like a beacon, and he was worried it might attract un-wanted creatures.

"So you've been living here in this forest on your own for a long time then?"

He nodded, looking straight ahead.

"Well, it must get lonely. I mean, have you no other friends?"

"_Other_?" He murmured, raising his eyebrow.

"Yes, _I'm_ your friend, but do you have any others?"

He shook his head at her easy, trusting demeanour she showed towards him, wondering if there'd ever be another person as crazy as she to want his friendship so eagerly.

"So you don't have other friends then."

"Oh, um…" He stopped shaking his head, and took her question into consideration. "I do have a couple of creatures for friends, they all live around here, but known of them are _my kind_."

"Your kind?" She repeated, doubtfully. Then it dawned on her. "Oh, you mean wolf-men? Well, I must say I've never met one of your kind before. You look and act like a man though, only…"

"Only?" He asked in honest interest.

"Well, you're taller than most men in the village, and you've got mighty big…er, parts."

"Parts?"

"Yes…you know, big feet" She said, pointing to the bottom of him. "And a big nose." She continued, pointing up to the top of him. "And a big uh, nevermind…" She had accidentally pointed to the middle of him, but then quickly withdrew her finger in embarrassed. "Yeah, and your teeth look a little sharp, as well." She squeaked, trying to recover herself.

"Don't forget my hands." He smiled for the first time, holding them up.

"Yes, those are big too." She agreed.

"It's the curse of the wolf-men." He explained.

"So you view it as a curse, do you?" She asked, tugging his arm lightly.

He looked down at her as if she were mental. How could she ask something like that, as if he could think anything about his wolfness, other than as a curse.

"Of course I do."

"But why? I mean, what exactly happens when you turn wolf?"

"I'd father not—"

"Aw come on, we were having such a nice open moment there. Tell me about it, don't be shy, we're best mates now, aren't we?"

"Best mates? I thought a second ago I was just a new friend."

"Come on," she pleaded, ignoring his comment and his look. "Tell me!"

He let out a deep sigh. It looked as though this woman with the cloak wasn't used to not getting her way. Or at least, she wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Are we close to your grandfather's yet?" He asked instead, trying to sway her mind away from him.

"Oh, um…" She glanced around, as they continued to walk.

It suspiciously looked to the wolf-man like she didn't know where she was going, and was just walking in a random direction at the moment.

"Do you know the way?" He question, coming to a halt.

"Of course!" She assured, trying to pull him. But unlike before, he was able to remain rooted to the ground. Perhaps it was because she was a little hesitant to pull him, seeing as she actually wasn't so sure of herself.

"Are you quite sure?" He pressed.

"Well, I know the way from my house to his, going straight through the forest, if I concentrate. But…well, after I met up with you, and we began talking, to _may_ have forgot to keep track which way we were walking."

"_May_, or did?"

"Did." She confessed, but added hastily at his expression. "But, but…that's okay, because I'm _pretty_ sure if we keep walking this way straight, we'll either reach his house, or the village he lives in. As long as we reach the end of this wood, then I know where we are."

"Well, I suppose that makes sense, as long as we reach the end of this wood."

"But you know the way through these woods, don't you, I mean, you _live_ here."

"Well…" The wolf looked away, a little uncomfortable. "I've never really ventured out of these woods too often, I've stayed around my area mostly, so I'm not sure how to get out. That is, I can't remember the way actually."

"That's alright," she tightened her arm around his, and began to walk again. "We can do this together! I won't give up!"

And as she pulled him along, and he finally came up next to her and walked along so she wouldn't have to drag him, he began to realize just how much of a fight this girl was willing to put up before giving up. Her resilience amazed him, to say the least.

---------o0o---------

"So, you never did answer my question. What happens when you change into the wolf? How does it even happen?"

Damn, he had hoped she had forgotten about it. "Do you _really_ want to hear the _gory, disturbing_, _teeth_-_clenching_, details?"

"Oh, I do, I do." She smiled and nodded her head vigorously.

"Okay, I lied, it's not really _gory_, or _teeth_-_clenching_, though some might find it a bit disturbing. Still interested?"

"Uh-huh."

"Fine." He gave up, she proved to be more stubborn then him. "About once a month, around the full moon, the spirit of the wolf takes over. My man form changes into that of a wolf-man, I grow hairy all over, my faces changes into that of a wolfs, and I gain incredible reflex. Scared yet?"

"Scared? Of course not! That sounds quiet cool. So I imagine your sense of smell increases too, as all of your senses?"

"Yes, but only by a little. Right now, I have higher senses than men, my sense of smell is already quite keen."

"Wow, and what about your mind? Do you keep it?"

"No, the wolf takes over, I am not in control those nights."

"Well, if that's all there is to being a wolf-man, I wouldn't say you're so cursed. I mean, yes, it's horrible to lose your mind while you're the wolf, but other than that, it must be fun to transform."

"_Fun_? How could it? It's horribly painful, and I'm always so weak afterwards."

"Oh, well if you put it that way." She shrugged. "When I transform, it's fun."

"You—transform? But you're not…you can't be—?"

"No, not a she-wolf, I'm a Metamorphmagus, a _shape-shifter_. Here, let me show you." She scrunched her nose and her bubble-gum pink hair turned a violent shade of violet.

The wolf opened his mouth to say something but found he was speechless.

"I know, it sometimes has that affect on people. Though I myself prefer the pink." She smiled, scrunched her nose again, and her pink locks were back.

He continued to stare aghast at her, wondering how he was able to continue walking with her without tripping over something.

At that exact moment however, she was the one to trip, on a tree root that stuck high off the ground. Her foot got caught under it, she tumbled over, and pulled the wolf down with her.

They ended up a tangle on the ground, her finally letting go of his arm, and he was sprawled over her.

"There's something else you need to know about me." She admitted brightly, biting her lip. "I'm dead clumsy. Truly, I'll probably trip another couple of times during our travels. And should we miraculously find some dinner plates anywhere in the forest, I'll probably break them too."

The woman was surprising him again, and again, and he wasn't sure how to act, what to say. He pulled himself off her, brushed down his tatty pants and shabby robes, offered her a hand.

"What a gentlemen you are, Mr. Wolf." She laughed, accepted his help.

Then they were both standing up straight, and ready to set off again.

"You know, you really are something." He shook his head, saying the comment more to himself.

"Am I really? Is it something good?" She winked, taking hold of his arm again. "Come on, we've got a grandpie to visit!"

---------o0o---------

End of ch.o2


	3. Chappie 3: riding hood wakes up

Disclaimer: the only thing I own is my imagination.

A/N: okay, its time I finish this story off. I'm kind of disappointed by it, haha, but I won't leave it incomplete. Rabid remus-tonks fan, thanks for the review, I'm glad you found that part funny.

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One Day in the Woods

Chapter 3: 

_All adventures come to an end. _

The merry travelers (well, _one_ of them merry, anyhow) continued their journey through the woods towards grandfather's house. As Rainbow Riding Hood talked on and on though, the wolf began not to mind her so much. In fact, despite his better judgment, he actually felt himself start to grow fond of her, like how he imagined having a real friend might be.

"Anyway, I'm sure grampie will like you. He likes almost everyone he meets."

"Are they all human though?" The wolf couldn't help but ask.

"All human? Of course not! I mean, sure, _most_ of them are, but still, grampie's friends will all kinds of creatures. You should see his pet bird, it's got the prettiest golden orange feathers!"

The wolf was surprised. Whoever her grandfather was, he apparently was more accepting than the types of humans he had heard about. But then again, was Rainbow Riding Hood strangely accepting of him also?

"Oh! I think we're almost there!" She exclaimed, tightening her grip on his arm, and quickening their pace. "Beyond those trees ahead, can you see it? The forest ends, and I think I can see my grandfather's little cottage!"

The wolf looked ahead. Indeed she was right. They ventured further and further until the trees seized to grow, and they met with cobblestone ground.

"We made it!" Rainbow Riding Hood cheered, as they made their way into the village. "See that little cottage right there? That's my grampie's house." She pointed and dragged him in a hurry. "Oh, I hope he didn't have to wait too long."

They reached his door soon, and Rainbow was about to knock when she thought the better of it. "He's in bed ill, so I better not wake him."

"Then how—?"

"With magic silly. Grampie's door can be opened by anyone in the family."

Rainbow Riding Hood took out her wand, tapped it lightly to the door, and it swung open. "Come on!"

They stepped into the silent house, and looked around.

"Yep, I was right, he must be sleeping."

She placed her basket of goodies on the kitchen table. "Alright, I'll go check his room, and if he's awake, then I'll bring him some of these treats."

The wolf waited by the basket while Rainbow lightly tiptoed to her grandpa's room. Opening the door slightly, she could barely see inside the room, but she could make out a body snuggled up inside the covers of a bed.

"Grampie?" She said in a whisper of a voice.

The person lying in the bed stirred, pulling the covers even higher up.

"Wotcher grampie!" She said more loudly, opening the door up. "It is I, your granddaughter, come to bring you some of your favourite treats."

The person covered in blankets said nothing.

"I'll be right back with them!"

Rainbow went back to the wolf, picking up her basket. "He's awake, come and meet him."

Upon re-entering grampie's room, both wolf and woman found the bed covers now completely covering the person in the bed.

"Grampie, take the covers down." Rainbow laughed. "Look I brought you your favourite treats!"

The man pulled the covers down just slightly, to expose his head covered in the familiar blue cap Rainbow's grampie usually wore, and a pair of very red eyes.

"My grampie, you must be awful sick. What red eyes you have! And they're so slitty too!"

The man pulled the covers just a little more done, now exposing half his face. "My grampie, what kind of sickness is this? You look so altered. What a flat, big slitted nose yours has become!"

The man further pulled the covers down, and his whole face showed. "My, what a twisted smile, what sharp teeth you have! And your skin is so grey! No, _you_ can't be my grampie!"

The man threw back the covers and grabbed rainbow by the arm. "Too true dearly." He laughed viscously, pulling her into his grasp, and fishing for the wand in her pocket.

But the wolf man, with his reflexes was swift in his own actions. He jumped on the man, sinking his wolf teeth into the arm that held Rainbow for firmly. The man recoiled in pain. Rainbow took her wand out and in seconds had cast a spell on the man, so that he vanished from the bed.

"What? Where did he—?"

Rainbow shrugged, still shaking from the whole experience. "I—I'm not…sure…I—I just…sent him…a-way."

"Well, thank goodness for your magic." He took a deep breath, getting off the bed.

She looked up at him with watery eyes. "If you weren't here…if you didn't come, I would have, I would have been…"

"Don't mention it." He smiled, patting her on the shoulder lightly.

She took in a deep breath herself, and looked around. "But where's grampie!"

"Hmm…maybe I can smell him out." The wolf offered, sniffing the air.

Seconds later, he was looking under the bed with Rainbow. Sure enough, they found grampie Dumbledore, fast asleep, with an acid pop in his mouth.

"I better wake him up." Rainbow decided, and began to pull him out from under the bed.

"Wotcher Grampie, wake up." She said softly, shaking him awake.

Grampie's eyes opened and he looked at the scene above him. His granddaughter and an unfamiliar man were crouched, looking down at him.

"What has happened?" He yawned, pulling the acid pop from his mouth.

"What? Have you been asleep this whole time!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"But of course Nymphie. I've been sleeping off my illness since this morning."

"And you never awoke to anything?"

"No, but now I wonder, what I am doing on the floor beside my bed, and not in it."

"Oh grampie!" Rainbow sighed, and told him everything that happened.

"I see." He nodded, as they helped him back into bed. "That would have been Voldie. Yes, red eyes, slitty nose. Voldie indeed. He's not what you would call, a friend."

"Clearly." The wolf nodded.

"And who are you?" Grampie Dumbledore asked, as he put the lolly back in his mouth, and snuggled up into his bed.

"Oh grampie, this is the Big Bad Wolf, but uh, he's not so Big and Bad. But he did help rescue me from Voldie, and he found you under the bed!"

"Is that so? Rescued my Nymphie, did ye? Well, thank you Mr. Wolf."

The wolf tilted his head in acceptance.

"And now, I believe it is time I continue my nap." Grampie said, pulling his covers up high.

"Alright, I brought you your favourite treats Grampie! I'll leave the basket here, so you can go through it once you wake up again."

"Alright Nymphie, thank you. It was good seeing you again. Take care you two." And with that they left him to sleep.

---------o0o---------

"You know, I like your grandpie, he's a funny man." The wolf observed, as they left the village, and began to re-enter the woods.

Rainbow Riding Hood had not said anything since they left her grandfather's room, and he was beginning to feel uncomfortable with her unusual silence.

She turned to look at him, and he saw something strange in her eyes.

"What is it?" He asked, and stopped walking.

Without warning, Rainbow threw her arms around him, giving him the tightest, longest, and possibly, only embrace he ever had.

"Thank you!" She said into his shoulder. "Thank you so much, for saving me, and finding my grampie. I just so happy you came with me today!"

"Oh, uh…" The wolf was extremely gratified by her words, but didn't know how exactly to act, or what exactly to say. "It's no trouble, really."

She eventually pulled herself away from him, giving him a little smile. "I suppose its time we make our way back towards home."

"I suppose you suppose right, _Nymphie_."

"Oh no! You've figured out my name, have you?" She gasped.

"Well your grampie did call you by it numerous times."

"But that does not give you permission to use it!"

"Well, perhaps I won't then." He teased and they set off to end the journey.

The journey home was quite the improvement to the one before. Rainbow Riding Hood continued to talk on and on, but the wolf had much more contribution in it. He found himself undeniably beginning to form a sort of attachment to her. Knowing they would be parting soon was a rather sad thought. He'd miss her, he knew.

As they came closer and closer to the wood's end, and Rainbow's house, they once again met with peril.

A big, gnarly looking man, with big yellow teeth and a death glare stood in their way. He had shown up out of no-where, so that neither of them had noticed him before it was too late. He had them cornered, and in a dark forest no less.

From the smell of the menacing man, and the low growl he was admitting, the wolf admittedly recognized who he was.

"He's a wolf, like me, but not a friendly one." The wolf whispered to Rainbow. "Go run for it, your house isn't too far off. I'll hold him off."

"No, I can't leave you to deal with that monstrosity." She hissed back.

"I said go." He urged, pushing her behind him.

Before she could stop him, he stepped forwards, to towards the evil-wolf, and said. "Leave her Greyback, and fight me."

The bad-wolf lunged at the good-wolf without a word of answer. They rolled on the ground, trying to bite each other. Pushing and shoving, the evil-wolf scratched the good-wolf hard on the arm, and blood began to drench the sleeve of his cloak.

"Get out of here now!" The good-wolf snarled at Rainbow.

She was so frightened by his words she actually took off, but not towards her house. Instead, she ran behind a tree. If he believed he could beat the bad-wolf, she would not stand in his way. But if he needed help, she would help whether he wanted her to or not.

The bad-wolf took a few more strikes at the good-wolf. With so many blows, the good-wolf was weakening. Rainbow Riding Hood knew he had to step in now. Coming out from her tree, she stepped towards the bad-wolf, who jumped off the other wolf, and looked up at her in savage interest.

"Think you're so tough?" She asked rhetorically, pulling her wand out and stunning him.

The bad-wolf immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Are you all right?" Rainbow ran over to the good-wolf, helping him up off the ground.

"I'm fine." He huffed, but accepted her help.

"Here, let me tend to those." She said calmly, flicking her wand towards the deep cut in his arm. It was healed suddenly, and after she went over some of his other cuts, they too all healed. The scars of them however, remained.

"Wolf scars," he explained, "can't be taken away, even by magic."

"Well, as long as you are okay now."

"Yes, thanks to you. You must think me a fool."

"A fool? No. Brave, I'd say."

"Brave?" He gave a wiry smile. "Stupid more like it. I hadn't even thought about your magic. I just knew he was after you, a young human, and all I could think was, I had to protect you. It's quite idiotic, me not remembering you had magic."

"Not at all. I thank you for trying to protect me. If I hadn't of had magic, you would have been my only protection."

"But instead, I took a thrashing from him, and you ended up saving me. Thank you."

"It's no trouble. Besides you saved me earlier, so we're even." She smiled cheerily.

"Well, perhaps we should take off before he awakes."

"Wisely sad."

As they neared Rainbow Riding Hood's house, Rainbow became less talkative, and more thoughtful. She didn't want him to leave her. Not after everything that had happened. What if she never saw him again, no, it was too much to bear!

As they reached the edge of the wood, the wolf stopped walking, pulling his arm away from her.

"We have reached your home, it is time you leave." He noted miserably.

"Oh wolf!" She cried, grabbing his hands in hers. "Please don't say that. Please, come and live with me. We'd have so much fun together."

The wolf was so taken aback by her request, he could not respond for a few minutes. At last, he found his voice, and avoiding her eyes he said. "I can not. I belong here, in the woods."

Rainbow let go of his hands, and reached up for his face. Pulling his face slightly down, he was forced to meet her eyes. She then reached up and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

The wolf backed away, unable to gain control of his thoughts. They ran wild with ideas of her, of him, of them, doing things he knew he shouldn't think of.

"You belong with me, not here. I do not care if you are a wolf, you belong with me."

"No, I…please, go away. I'm just an old, lonely wolf, I don't deserve you."

"Is that it? Or is it that _I _don't deserve you?" She sighed, finally looking away.

"Don't say that! You deserve the best, better than anything I could ever offer."

"But you're the best in my eyes. I…I care for you."

"No, don't say that, I can't hear this. Leave, please leave."

"I won't." She replied, determined and stubborn.

The wolf crossed his arms, and refused to meet her eye. "Leave me. I won't be with you. Not as friends, not as anything more. We part ways now."

"Not even as friends?" She began to tear-up at his words.

"No, it's too dangerous. I can't be around you anymore. You…you do something to me, and I can't trust myself as your friend."

"Please…please come out of the woods with me." She begged on.

"No." He turned away from her and began to walk away. "And don't follow me."

Rainbow stood there in the forest, tears running down her once cheery face. He had walked away, and was now out of site.

---------o0o---------

Nymphadora Tonks had woken up with a start. She was lying in her bed at her London flat, not in a forest. But she could feel her eyes still had tears in them. Looking up at the ceiling, she could hardly see anything while her lank mouse-brown hair hung tangled in front of her eyes. Rolling over, she shut her eyes, and tried to fall asleep again. Groaning a few minutes later at her failed attempt, she felt the tears in her eyes begin to fall down her cheeks.

Even in her strangest of dreams, Remus Lupin still haunted her.

theEnd

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A/N: and that's the end of that (bet you weren't expecting a sad ending). I hope the story now makes sense, seeing it in a "dream context". It takes place, obviously, during book 6th, while Tonks is 'mooning' over Lupin. Thanks to those who review, you mean the world to me. 


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